One Hundred and One Dalmatians
One Hundred and One Dalmatians, often written 101 Dalmatians, is a 1961 American animated adventure film produced by Walt Disney Productions and adapted from Dodie Smith's 1956 novel of the same name. It is the 17th animated feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series. It stars Rod Taylor and Cate Bauer as, respectively, the voices of Pongo and Perdita, its canine protagonists, and Betty Lou Gerson as the voice of Cruella de Vil, its antagonist who kidnaps their puppies. The film was originally released to theaters on January 25, 1961, by Buena Vista Distribution. Upon release, it was a box office hit, successfully pulling the studio out of the financial setbacks caused by Sleeping Beauty, a costlier production released two years prior. Aside from its box office revenue, its commercial success was due to the employment of inexpensive animation techniques-such as using xerography during the process of inking and painting traditional animation cels-that kept production costs down. It was reissued to cinemas four times: 1969, 1979, 1985 and 1991. The 1991 reissue was the twentieth highest earning film of the year for domestic earnings. A direct-to-video sequel, 101 Dalmatians II: Patch's London Adventure, was released in 2003. Plot Songwriter Roger Radcliffe lives in a bachelor flat in London, along with his dalmatian, Pongo. Bored with bachelor life, Pongo decides to find a wife for Roger and a mate for himself. While watching various female dog-human pairs out the window, he spots the perfect one, a woman named Anita and her female dalmatian, Perdita. He quickly gets Roger out of the house and drags him through the park to arrange a meeting. He and Anita fall in love and get married. Later, Perdita gives birth to a litter of fifteen puppies. That same night, they are visited by Cruella de Vil, a wealthy former schoolmate of Anita's. She offers to buy the entire litter, but Roger says they are not for sale. A few weeks later, she hires her henchmen, Japser and Horace, to steal them. When Scotland Yard is unable to find them, Pongo and Perdita use the Twilight bark, a canine gossip line, to ask for help from the other dogs in London. Colonel, an old sheepdog, along with his compatriots Captain, a grey horse, and Sergeant Tibbs, a tabby cat, find the puppies in a place called Hell Hall (Cruella's abandoned and dilapidated family estate, also known as The De Vil Place), along with many other dalmatian puppies that she had bought from various dog stores. When Tibbs learns they are going to be made into dog-skin fur coats, Colonel quickly sends word back to London. Upon receiving the message, Pongo and Perdita leave the town to retrieve their puppies. Winter has come, and they have to cross the Stour River which is running fast and laden with slabs of broken ice. Meanwhile, Tibbs overhears Cruella ordering Jasper and Horace are preoccupied watching television, but they finish their show and come for there before he can get them out of the house. Pongo and Perdita break in and confront Jasper and Horace just as they are about to kill the puppies. While the adult dogs attack them, Colonel and Tibbs guide the puppies from the house. After a happy reunion with their own puppies, Pongo and Perdita realize there are dozens of others with them, 99 altogether including their own. Shocked at Cruella's plans, they decide to adopt all of them, certain that Roger and Anita would never reject them. They begin making their way back to London through deep snow; all open water is frozen solid. Other animals help them along the way. Cruella, Jasper and Horace chase them. In the town, they cover themselves with soot so they appear to be labrador retrievers, then pile inside a moving van bound for London. As it is leaving, melting snow clears off the soot and Cruella sees them. In a rage, she follows the van in her car and rams it but Jasper and Horace, who try to cut it off from above, end up crashing into her. Both vehicles are smashed to smithereens and fall into a deep ravine; and battered bruised and stranded, Cruella and her henchmen are defeated at last. Cruella yells in frustration as the van drives away. Back in London, Roger and Anita are attempting to celebrate Christmas and his first big hit, a song about Cruella, but they miss their canine friends. Suddenly, barking is heard outside and, after their nanny opens the door, the house is filled with dogs. After wiping away the rest of the soot, they are delighted to realize their companions have returned home. After counting 84 extra puppies, they decide to use the money from the song to buy a large house in the country so they can keep all 101 dalmatians. Cast * Rod Taylor as Pongo * Cate Bauer as Perdita * Betty Lou Gerson as Cruella De Vil and Miss Birdwell * Ben Wright as Roger Radcliffe (speaking) * Bill Lee as Roger Radcliffe (singing) * Lisa Davis as Anita Radcliffe * Martha Wentworth as Nanny, Queen and Lucy * Frederick Worlock as Horace and Inspector Craven * J. Pat O'Malley as Jasper and Colonel * Thurl Ravenscroft as Captain * David Frankham as Sergeant Tibbs * Barbara Baird as Rolly * Mickey Maga as Patch * Sandra Abbott as Penny * Mimi Gibson as Lucky * Tudor Owen as Towser * George Pelling as Danny * Queenie Leonard as Princess * Marjorie Bennet as Duchess * Barbara Luddy as Rover * Rickie Sorenson as Spotty * Tom Conway as Collie and Quizmaster * Paul Wexler as Car Mechanic * Basil Ruysdael as Truck Driver * Paul Frees as Dirty Dawson * Jeanne Bruns as Radio Singer * Lucille Bliss as TV Commercial Singer Songs * Cruella De Vil (performed by Bill Lee) * Dalmatian Plantation (performed by Bill Lee) International premieres * United States: January 25, 1961 * Argentina: July 6, 1961 * United Kingdom: July 25, 1961 * Spain: September 21, 1961 * Australia: October 8, 1961 * Italy: November 30, 1961 * Finland: December 15, 1961 * West Germany: December 19, 1961 * France: December 20, 1961 * Mexico: December 21, 1961 * Ireland: December 22, 1961 * Denmark: December 26, 1961 * Norway: December 26, 1961 * Sweden: December 26, 1961 * Austria: December 29, 1961 * Hong Kong: May 2, 1962 * Japan: July 21, 1962 * Israel: August 11, 1962 * Brazil: December 24, 1962 * Netherlands: April 13, 1963 * Hungary: December 17, 1964 * Poland: 1966 * Kuwait: April 9, 2001 * Turkey: October 20, 2005 * Greece: March 31, 2008 International titles * Argentina, Spain & Mexico: 101 Dálmatas - La noche de las narices frías * Brazil & Portugal: Os 101 Dálmatas * Bulgaria: ? * Croatia & Serbia: 101 dalmatinac * Denmark: 101 dalmatinere - Hund og Hund imellem * Finland: 101 dalmatialaista * France: Les 101 dalmatiens * Germany: 101 Dalmatiner * Greece: Ta 101 skylia tis Dalmatias * Hungary: 101 kiskutya * Iceland: Hundalíf * Iran: 101 Sag-e khaldar * Italy: La carica dei 101 * Japan: 101匹わんちゃん (Hyakui ppiki wan-chan) (101 Doggies) * Netherlands: 101 Dalmatiers * Norway: 101 dalmatinere - En sjarmor i pels * Poland: 101 dalmatynczyków * Romania: 101 Dalmatieni * Russia: ? * Sweden: Pongo och de 101 dalmatinerna * Turkey: 101 dalmacyali * Ukraine: ? Differences between the novel and the film * 101 dalmatians generally follow the novel on which it is based. However, several of the figures in the book have been deleteded or merged to form new characters in the film. In the book there are two nurses, Nanny Cook and Nanny Butler, who in the movie have been merged to form Nanny's home help. The film's Perdita is also a merging of two figures; Pongo's wife, Missis, and the abandoned Dalmatian Perdita. In the book, Mr. and Mrs. Dearly (the film's Roger and Anita) takes Perdita home to act on mother-in-law for Pongo and Missis' 15 puppies, as Missis does not have enough of milk for all 15. Towards the end of the book, the dalmatian Prince is introduced, which turns out to be Perdita's husband; in the film, that figure is completely removed. An another change from the book to the film is Roger's profession, from mathematician in the book to composer of the film. * When Cruella de Vil are visiting the Dearlys, she invites them to dinner. She is also married and owner of a white Persian cat. None of this is included in the film. When her puppets Saul and Jasper Baddun (Horace and Jasper in the movie) kindap the puppies, she is holding Nanny Cook and Nanny Butler, which she does not do in the film. * Pongo and his wife are getting off to find their puppies after receiving news through the dusk, but their journey is much more detailed in the book. In the book, even those who initiate the exemption of puppies are in the room when Cruella orders the Baddun brothers to kill and fool the puppies. In the film, these data have been taken over by the Colonel, Captain and Sergeant Tibs, while Pongo and Perdita arrive after Tibs initiated the exemption. * During the trip home, they have to hide from Cruella and roll around soot to imitate labradors. While this is the only way for the group to get to the truck that will drive all the way to London in the movie, the trick is used in the book only to move on to the next town. Well there they discover the moving van at random, and the subsequent car chase where Cruella chases them and trying to demolish the van in a ravine is only in the film. * When they return to London, they run home to Mr. and Mrs. Dearly. In the film, the dogs make it as soon as they arrive in London, while in the book they take a departure to Cruelly's house in London first. They do this when they meet Cruella's white cat who wants to revenge because Cruella killed several of her kittens. The dogs help by shredding all her precious fur. * Both in the book and in the movie, the Dearlys decide to start a kennel for the Dalmatians. There the movie ends, while it is revealed in the book that they buy the Health Care Garden (The De Vil Place in the film) for the purpose, that is, the house where the puppies were locked. International releases For information about international dubs and releases, 101 Dalmatians/International. Category:1961 films Category:1960s American animated films Category:Films produced by Walt Disney Category:Films directed by Clyde Geronimi Category:Films directed by Hamilton Luske Category:Films directed by Wolfgang Reitherman Category:Walt Disney Animation Studios films Category:Walt Disney Pictures Category:Film scores by George Bruns Category:Film scores by Mel Leven Category:Walt Disney Feature Animation